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Awoke this morning to a very cold day with snow flurries, the first of the season for our area. Around midday, the sun came out and melted most of it away, though the temperature never rose above one degree centigrade. We decided to drive to Harrogate to see the 'Country Living Christmas Fair' which is annually held at the Exhibition Centre there. Emiko is very fond of attending this event and it encourages us to get into an early festive mood. We set off for Harrogate but there was a lot of traffic and, on the way, snow started to fall again, gradually becoming something of a blizzard about half way there. I started to worry about our return journey and whether the conditions would get worse. The traffic build up certainly did get worse and we eventually arrived in Harrogate much later than originally anticipated...too late for it to be feasible for us to attend the Christmas Fair which was due to close in an hour's time. (There's an awful lot to see at this event and an hour is nowhere near enough time to take it all in. ) So, instead we decided to visit our favourite fishmonger's shop, (called 'Ramus,') on Harrogate's Kings Road and stock up on fish and seafood...all fresh and ready for the freezer. Should keep us happy for a while. Then hit the road back to York as the snow fell hard again. Now we're back at the homestead. I've lit the log burning stove and everything downstairs is warm and toasty. Debating whether to switch on my studio and do some work, though it's very cold and uninviting upstairs at the moment, mostly due to a lack of heating in this room. But I'm well wrapped up and may try to make further inroads into a new track entitled 'House Of Mystery.' One thing I really must mention is a wonderful visit I had last night from Ian Haigh, my long lost and recently re-united best friend from Art School days in Wakefield, way back in the mid-1960s. Ian came over to see us with his partner Ann and we had a superb time reminiscing about our lives and friends when we were both teenage art students. Ian's friendship was always precious to me and it has been an absolute joy to be able to connect with him again after so many years. Those days at Wakefield's Art School were, unbelievably, over 50 years ago, an expanse of time I'm finding it difficult to grasp. It seems like only yesterday that we inhabited the old Art School building, (now long ago demolished.) Ian is like a friend I've never really lost, and yet it's 50 years since those heady, halcyon days of the 'sixties and times have changed so dramatically, some for the better, some for worse. Nevertheless, we talked about our mutual experiences, remembering this and that, and laughed an awful lot, something which I've not done for a while, the burden of years becoming perhaps far too prevalent in my own life. How marvellous to re-connect with someone who shared an affinity with me so many, many years ago...

I've just this minute finished recording and mixing a track for this year's Dreamsville website audio/video Christmas card. Well, to qualify that, the audio side is finished, but I've yet to start work on the accompanying video. Scratching my head about that side of things at the moment, especially as my camcorder has given up the ghost. No doubt I'll come up with a solution, eventually... This year I've chosen to record an improvisation based on the old 'White Christmas' tune, albeit with flourishes and aberrations of my own...(added spakles, crystals and snowflakes for instance.) Kind of kitsch and kind of corny, but heartfelt nevertheless. It's a guitar piece with humming, soft choir, warm brass and a simple beatbox that provides an electric coda for the music to float over at the end in a kind of snowblind white mist of improvisation. I've recorded one of these seasonal pieces every year, for the last few years now. (They can be watched again in the Cinema section on my website if you've missed them.) Fans always enjoy them and say that it helps to get their families in an appropriate mood for Christmas, which makes me very happy. This coming week is busy with various things, not only the impending work on the Christmas video, but several tedious domestic tasks, mainly to do with paying household bills and so on. One important thing is that I need to set Emiko's new iPad up and arrange an email and internet connection for her. I had to buy her a new iPad on Friday as her old one has developed problems and, as it was a first generation machine, it can't be updated. (So this is how computer companies make their fortunes.) A similar thing happed with my old Mac. So expensive all this stuff but, we've got to the point where we can't exist without the technology. Strange, as I don't remember ever hankering after computers or the internet before we had access to them. Are we leading the technology or is it leading us? One pleasant thing I'm looking forward to this week is a meeting on Wednesday with my old friend Ian Haigh, who was a fellow student at Wakefield's art school in the mid 1960s. Ian is one of the few people I've felt an enduring affinity with. I've booked a table for us to go out for a meal together on Wednesday evening. We've an awful lot of catching up to do as Ian has been out of my orbit since the late '70s. No particular image in mind for this journal entry...so I'm posting one of my 'imaginary album' flyers for an album titled 'Captain Radar And His Interplanetary Orchestra.' Just a bit of silly science-fiction fun!

Have now completed the mix of the track 'Drive This Comet Across The Sky', after tweaking the lyric slightly. It's a fairly brisk, straight-ahead rocker and will be the title track for a new album I'm working on. Having fun playing some of my more recent guitars on it, including the 'Astroluxe Cadet,' the Musicvox Mi-6, the Supro 'Belmont' and the Eastwood 'Fire Bird', amongst others. There's nothing I like more than sitting here in my studio with a guitar on my lap...other than having Emiko (or Django) on my lap, of course! 'That Old Mysterioso', which is now fully mastered and just awaits the finishing touches to the package design, will hopefully see the light of day next year, probably in January, all being well. Meanwhile, I'm working on images for the cover art for 'The Unrealist' album which is to be a digital download only affair. This will be available from my Bandcamp page sometime in January or February, provided all the artwork is complete in time. I need to look carefully at next year's releases. I have a dozen or so unreleased albums awaiting artwork and mastering and it's a matter of choosing a release schedule for them. Some will have to be digital downloads only, simply because manufacturing CDs for all of them would take far too long and I really need to get them off my chest so that I can see more clearly what I need to do next. Anyway, here's a flyer I've made for 'The Unrealist' album...suitably abstract and mysterious...

Had a difficult time, yesterday, with Django, our black cat. We took him to the vet for some flea treatment as the store bought one we'd used on him didn't seem to work. The vet explained that those 'over the counter' treatments aren't particularly effective and that Django needed a 'vet strength' treatment. Also that he'd need an injection to treat his skin where the flea bites had caused damage. It's always stressful taking Django to the vet, he gets freaked out by the experience and doesn't like travelling in the car. Anyhow, we got him home and, apart from seeming a little subdued we thought he was ok. He went out, as is his usual habit, for a stroll around the fields at the back of our house but when he returned he was extremely distressed, running around wildly and biting and scratching nonstop. This behaviour was acommpanied by pitiful cries. I wondered if this might be an allergic reaction to the treatment he'd had that afternoon so decided to telephone the out-of-hours emergency vet. After explaining the situation the vet said we should bring him in so he could examine him. This meant taking Django to a different vet's surgery over the other side of town, a longer journey than the one Django had to endure that afternoon. When we got there, the vet examined Django and said he couldn't see any signs of a bad reaction on Django's skin but he did say that in some rare cases cats can be allergic to the kind of medication he'd been given. He posited various reasons for the problem but said he would advise giving him a steroid injection which, as a side effect, might make him drowsy. So, that's what happened and we took Django back home where he seemed slightly less agitated. Eventually he fell asleep and this morning, when we got up, he seemed much better and ate some of his food. The constant scratching and crazy behaviour has gone and, as I'm typing these words he's curled up on my lap here in front of the computer. Hopefully yesterday's distressing episode is over.

After St John's Junior School, I moved to Ings Road Secondary Modern, having not fared too well in the entrance examination for Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, (or 'Quegs' as it was known.) To be honest, I didn't try too hard as I didn't like the very staid, old-fashioned and somewhat intimidating atmosphere surrounding Quegs. A very large school with dark, neo-gothic architecture, it felt cold and unfriendly. Instead I was packed off to Ings Road Secondary Modern School which, while smaller than Quegs, still had a disciplinarian air about it. I didn't enjoy my first couple of years there. The school had a strong emphasis on sport and rugby, neither of which interested me in the least and I used to get my mother to write notes to give to the PE teacher to say that I had a cold and "please excuse William from physical education today." The teacher would look at me with suspicion but had no option but to do as my mother had asked. Of course, this ruse couldn't be used every single time sport or a PE lesson came around, so more often than not I had to endure those classes. I dreaded them appearing on the timetable, especially the Rugby games which I thought were brutal. My father, a keen soccer player in his youth, said Rugby was "all brute force and ignorance." He had a way with words, my dad... Towards the end of my time at Ings Road, I had settled in a bit more and actually found some allies in certain teachers. Mr Smithson, the English teacher, liked my imagination and would let me write rather lurid science fiction stories when all the rest of the class had to do grammar or comprehension exercises, (which didn't go down well with my fellow pupils.) Mr Smithson also ran the school's camera club and I won the club's shield one time. He also lent me his Django Reinhardt albums. It was the first time I'd heard Django. The music mistress, Miss Kirkham, was great too. She would let me bring my guitar and Shadows records into her class. She was young and quite hip. The art mistress, Miss Cooper, was very helpful and influential. She encouraged my painting and drawing and it was she who suggested I should go to Art School after leaving Ings Road. Mr Carr, the woodwork teacher, allowed me to build a guitar in his woodwork class. I decided to make an electric 12-string but never finished it. I still have it, though it has no frets, pickups, tuners, bridge or electronics fitted. I also remember Mr Craggs who liked music and played guitar. He was a very decent man who I've recently been able to correspond with after many, many years. Here are some pictures of Ings Road School. The first is a side view, taken from the lane that ran along one side of the building. The Second is of a class, (not mine,) posing for a photo' with the headmaster Mr Oxley in front of the school's stage. That stage was the one on which I made my first ever public performance, playing at the school's Christmas concert with my school pal Ian Parkin. We were so nervous! The third picture shows the pre-fab outbuildings which housed the music classroom. This photo' was taken not long before the school's demolition. The fourth picture is of the school as the demolition was under way. The final picture is taken from inside the school hall and shows the stage in a state of demolition, the procenium arch having been removed. I find that photograph very sad as that stage obviously held a nostalgic memory for me...

After leaving The Collegiate School, I attended another small private school known as the Wakefield Tutorial School situated at the bottom of Southgate. The Tutorial School was a branch of 'Brown's' academy, which had premises outside of Wakefield in an area known as Walton. On the curriculum were Elocution lessons and I eventually got a certificate, signed by actor Ian Carmichael, for passing the exam...which. basically, required me to read some poems, speaking in a very proper, rather posh, 'Queen's English.' But my accent was at odds with the other kids who were neigbours on our council house estate and I was looked upon as a bit of an outsider by some of them because of it. My next step on the education ladder took me from private schools to a state run one, St John's Junior School at the end of Kilby Street. This wasn't a very large school but much larger than the private schools I'd been used to. It was a different kind of experience. I wasn't particularly happy there, sometimes being bullied, but I developed a crush on a girl in the next class called Pamela Scarlett, a very pretty girl who commanded much attention from the boys. On mornings, when we were all seated at our desks ready for the first class to start, Pamela's own class would file in and walk through our classroom to get to their classroom which was situated in the room behind ours. As Pamela passed by my desk she would give me the sweetest smile and my junior school heart would melt. I've had an idea for a couple of years now to write a piece iof music titled 'Pavane For Pamela Scarlett.' I've never forgotten her. Wonder where she is now? Here's a photograph of my class at St John's Junior School with myself on the left, indicated by the arrow.

Have been remembering my schooldays, some of them pleasant, some not so. My first ever school was a private one, known as the Wakefield Collegiate School, or 'The Academy,' it occupied a historic old building in Wakefield, known as 'The Orangery.' Situated in Back Lane, across from what was once Westgate Station, the Orangery still exists, though it is now dwarfed by a modern office block that has recently been built next to it. Back Lane has been truncated by a new road that cuts it in two, just above the Orangery itself. I can't say I'm thrilled by the way that Wakefield's planners have treated some of the City's quieter and older quarters...but it's all in the name of 'progress' I suppose. I started school at The Collegiate when I was five years old, which would be in 1953. It was a first day trauma for me. My mother had taken me to the school which was a long walk from our home on Eastmoor Estate. When she left me at the school I was terrified. I'd never been away from home without my parents being always present and the experience of 'aloneness' was very apparent. I didn't know any of the other children, who were all from much more wealthy families than mine. In recent years, I asked my mother why they had sent me to a private school, rather than a more local (Eastmoor,) state school. She replied that my father considered me a 'sensitive' child and that a private school might provide a less brutal form of education than a state school. Well, it was the early 1950s and perhaps things were a little different to today. Even so, I would have thought that it was a considerable financial burden for my father to pay the term fees. I have one of the receipts for a second year term at the Collegiate which was amongst my father's things when he passed away in the late '70s. The cost was £6 per term, which doesn't sound much now, but in the early '50s, for a family with a very small wage, living on a council estate, was not insubstantial. It's interesting to note that, on the receipt, (a scan of which I've attached,) 'examination fee' is crossed out and the word 'dancing' is substituted by hand. This is because I was enrolled in the school's ballet class, which I actually enjoyed. Billy Elliot, long before the film was ever conceived! The ballet lessons took place in the hall of the school, (behind the big arched window in the attached photograph.) The classroom for other lessons was at the back of the building, looking out onto a small playground. Just one class in the whole school. Only a small number of pupils so a very one-to-one' type of tuition. The 'GB Shaw' mentioned on the receipt was the head and proprietor of the school, and it is his signature that appears at the bottom of the document. At the front of the building was a small garden area containing some gravestones from the Unitarian Chapel across the road from the school. And to the right hand side of that garden stood an embankment carrying the railway line from Wakefield to Leeds. I would watch in awe as the steam trains rolled out of Westgate Station and passed the school, leaving clouds of smoke and steam in their wake. I wonder how much that slightly more 'artistic' school experience paved the way for my future creative work?

Back from Fairview studio where I've been busy transferring the tracks for 'That Old Mysterioso' and 'The Unrealist' albums for John Spence to master. Traffic coming home was terrible, and made worse by the oncoming headlights of other vehicles. It gets dark so early at this time of year. Everything is now copied across to Fairview's computer, a good day's work. And so the two albums are ready for the next step on their way home to your ears and, hopefully, your heart. I was very pleasantly surprised by 'That Old Mysterioso.' I haven't heard it since I completed mixing and assembling the draft running order sometime last year. But, I have to say that it's sounding very good, far better than I'd remembered. I'm extremely pleased with it and excited for you to hear it. John said that he thought it would become a firm favourite with fans, though I think it will take several listens to really sink in for most listeners as it's a somewhat oblique and complex album, but also, perhaps, sweet and melodic and warm. The lyrics, which were written in a 'stream of conciousness' kind of way, seemed opaque at the time of putting them to paper, but now a definite theme seems to have emerged. Strange how even their author was unaware of their meaning until quite some time after. So, the concept, or theme, seems to be about my current pre-occupation with ageing, the quickness of time, the fragility of life, the persistance of memory, the shift between reality and dreams, the nature of love and longing and the acceptance of the inevitable. All wrapped up in a kind of 'psychedelic-prog-jazz,-pop-rock' musical style for want of a better description. Strangely, (though not planned, ) the words, 'drifting away' re-occur on several songs for some reason or other... But, in other words...business as unusual. The second album I've transferred today, 'The Unrealist', is, by contrast, an instrumental affair with several semi-improvised guitar instrumentals. Although the album originally contained 16 tracks when I went to Fairview today, during the process of listening back to it I decided to drop one of the tracks, a piece titled 'Deep Blue.' I don't know quite what it was that made me do this, but I just felt disconnected from it in some way. So it has gone to the great abandoned track list in the sky, leaving the album as a mere 15 track extravaganza. Still, more than enough music to take in! Next step is to complete the artwork for 'That Old Mysterioso' and get both art and masters to the factory in time for manufacturing for a January release. I think this one will strike a very strong and positive note with fans who are attuned to my own tastes. 'The Unrealist' , on the other hand, will be a download only album, possibly in late January if I can come up with some images that will suit the album's cover art. Just vague ideas in my imagination at the present moment, but time needed to articulate and execute them. Lots to do... Meanwhile, here's another photo' taken by Martin Bostock at last month's launch party concert. Here I am playing my lovely 'Astroluxe Custom' guitar...

I've received a request from the American magazine 'Vintage Guitar' to do an interview and album review in connection with the 'Songs For Ghosts' album. They also would like a photo' of me with my gold Musicvox guitar. I'll need to post the album to them as it isn't available as a download but I've sent them one of Martin's pics of me with the Musicvox. They will email me questions to answer once they've received the album and listened to it. I'm not sure when the completed article will be published but I suspect some time next year. I'd hoped that there may have been a chance to have 'That Old Mysterioso' released for Christmas but Paul tells me it won't be possible to get it manufactured in time, so we're looking at next year, as I suspected might be the case. However...we're planning to digitally re-issue the two 'Rosewood' albums via my Bandcamp page next month, so that may provide an affordable Christmas gift for those who missed out on the album when it was originally released. It's a two-volume affair and ranks amongst my personal favourites.

Just one more photo before I retire for bed...here I am at the 'Songs For Ghosts' launch party with one of my favourite guitars, a D' Angelico 'Style B' archtop performing 'Transoceanic' during the live set. (Photo' by Martin Bostock.) This guitar was designed by John D 'Angelico in the 1940s but has been re-issued by the new D'Angelico company of New York, (though built in South Korea, home to some excellent guitar manufacturers.) I own three D 'Angelico's, two of South Korean origin and an earlier one from a Japanese manufacturer who no longer builds the instruments, (though the Japanese ones sell, second-hand, for a LOT of money these days...

Still sitting in my studio, playing around with Martin's photographs and came up with this flyer for 'THE UNREALIST' album. It won't be a cover image as I have a completely different idea in mind for that, (which will require a new photo' of myself in the guise of a bizarre character,) but I'll deal with that particular task a little later, once the album is mastered. This is just a bit of fun for now. Meanwhile...I've turned on the studio recording equipment and I'm about to embark on a new adventure. This may be a rock oriented vocal track, but it's all up in the air and floating freely for now...let's see what materialises.

Here's another photograph taken by Martin Bostock at the 'Songs For Ghosts' launch party, this time with the 'Les Trem' version of the Astroluxe Cadet which I played during the concert part of the event. I was pleasantly surprised by how well the Duesenberg Les Trem worked. Very smooth action and a good return to pitch. Although the two guitars are identical, apart from the different trem systems, they each have their own sound. I put this down to the different string tensions due to the string length on the Les Trem being slightly shorter than on the Bigsby version, but also, perhaps, to the Bigsby having a bigger area of metal connectring with the top of the guitar. It's a subtle difference but makes for an interesting variation in the sound. Both are great sounding guitars though and it's nice to be able to have that variation in tone. One thing I forgot to mention in my earlier post today is that the mastering session at Fairview has been brought forward from Friday to Thursday. I'll need to sort out the correct DAT tapes and print out running orders and cue locations for all the correct tracks and mixes ready to assemble into the two albums I'm hoping to get transferred to Fairview's computer. The first album to tackle will be 'That Old Mysterioso,' but I'm hoiping to also transfer the tracks for 'The Unrealist.' (Yes, I've settled on that title now, and that is what it will be called.) A lot of music to transfer!

Only today got around to choosing some of Martin Bostock's photo's from the 'Songs For Ghosts' album launch event. As usual, Martin's pics are all great and technically excellent but, unfortunately, the person in them, (i.e.: me,) isn't. I'm appalled by how tired, lined and frankly, unwell I look in them. So, the process of choosing some that I can use has been even more painful than usual. Sheer vanity, to some extent, but there you go. The person inside my head looks nothing like the reality. Anyway, I've sent Martin a list of the ones I can bear so some may appear in the website's forum before too long. For now, here's one of the pics of me with the 'Astroluxe Cadet' guitar, Bigsby Trem Version. I also have the Les Trem version and I'll post that photo' later. Right now, I'm going into a corner to sulk with a bag on my head...

Woke up this morning with a new title possibility in my head for the instrumental album I gave the track list for yesterday. I rather like this one and feel that it may suit the album better than 'Lumiluxe', which suggests something of a more minimalist and ambient nature, (and the album, whilst having some quiet moments, is a little 'tougher' than that.) So, a new possibility is to title the album 'THE UNREALIST.' (Which is neither realist nor surrealist.) It hints at someone traversing unreal worlds and the music is a bit like that. Here's a rough flyer I knocked up for it this morning...

Today, I have been attempting to finalise the track selection and running order for the new instrumental album I've mentioned in previous journal entries. After much deliberation, I have, for the moment at least, settled on the following track list and given the album the title of 'Lumilux.' (Which, title-wise, may yet change.) It's a semi-abstract, guitar extravaganza/fantasia with some peculiar twists and turns. One for the super-listeners out there... 1: ‘ELLIPTIC WATERFALL.’ 2: ‘COLOUR FLOODS THE BAY WITH BLUE.’ 3: ‘POWERGLIDE.’ 4: ‘THE IMPATIENT HOUR.’ 5: ‘FRACTIOUS ELECTRONS.’ 6: 'THROUGH DRIFTING CLOUDS.' 7: ‘A CIRCUS TO REMEMBER.’ 8: ‘LOOSE BOX.’ 9: ‘FALLING WATER.’ 10: 'LITTLE MOTORS MOVE THE MOON.' 11: ‘WONDER AND EXCITEMENT.’ 12: ‘DEEP BLUE.’ 13: 'WHAT TO WEAR NOW, WHAT TO WEAR NEXT.' 14: ‘YOUR HAND TODAY HOLDS THE FUTURE OF TOMORROW.’ 15: 'WONDER STREET.' 16: ‘WAVES.’

Drove over to Wakefield this afternoon to see my Mother and take her to the supermarket to help her with her shopping. A regular expedition every Saturday. But this morning, before lunch, took a stroll down the lane outside our home and photographed the scenery on a pleasant, sunny, if somewhat cold, morning. Part way down the lane, on the edge of a wide agricultural field, (which at the moment is barren,) there is what appears to be an ancient stone. A sort of megalithic marker of some kind. But it is, in fact, just an old stone gatepost, probably dating back over a hundred years or so. Its partner, or other half, actually resides as a decoratrive object in a corner of our own back garden, laid on its side, serving as a kind of seat. It must weigh quite a bit. Nice to have this though, especially as the other post has sat in the field for so many years. There's a Knight's Templar connection here too. A farm not far away is called 'Templar Farm' and the ruins of an old Templar preceptory are located somewhere in its acreage. I lived in the village of West Haddlesey many years ago and that too had a Templar connection. A book on the village's history, written way back in the 1920s, (I think,) by a local vicar who had studied deeply such matters, related that an esquire to a Templar Knight from nearby Temple Hirst, was called 'William, son of Nell.' I wasn't aware of this fact when I moved into the area, but later found it significant because of my personal involvement with esoteric orders and my particular interest in the Templars. And again, when moving to my current abode with Emiko, had no idea that there was also a strong connection with a nearby Templar place of history. I feel a strange bond with the Knights Templar, and have done for many years. There is a story that the stones in a wall of the next door outbuilding/barn were the stones that were taken from that Templar Preceptory when it was demolished a long, long time ago. I don't know if that has been proven, but I like to believe it's true. Anyway, here's a photo I took of the stone in the field...

Just got home from my annual medical check. The diabetes nurse looked at the blood test results and my blood-sugar levels are pretty good, thanks to the twice a day Insulin injections I'm taking. She also suggested changing the injections from being in my stomach to being in my thighs from time to time to give my stomach a break from the needles which, over time, can cause a hardness in the flesh. I've not injected into my thighs before and I'm a bit wary of that because there's much more muscle there than in the softer area of my belly, but I'll give it a go and see if it's any more or less painful. One worry is that my blood pressure was too high. The nurse was concerned about it and has asked me to do a blood pressure check at home, twice a day for a week, and to fill in a record sheet of the readings. (I have a blood pressure monitor at home which I haven't used for ages.) After a week of monitoring I have to bring the record sheet back to the GP and if it's still very high I'll need some medication to reduce it. Made a start on the assembly of the new instrumental album last night. I'm about a third of the way through it and I have to admit it's sounding very good. I'm quite excited by it to tell the truth. I'd originally intended to call this one 'Lovely Apparaitions,' then possibly 'Wonder Street' but now I'm considering giving it a different title all together. Once I've completed the draft assembly, I'll see how it feels and look at various title possibilities to see what might suit it best. If I get the running order sorted in time, I might take it along to Fairview next week to have it mastered alongside the 'That Old Mysterioso' album. (In which case it could see a release date of fairly early in the new year.,) Meanwhile, here's an old flyer I put together some time ago for an album I intended to call 'Guitar Stories' but never got around to recording. Hmmm...maybe that title is another possibility...

At the recent 'Songs For Ghosts' launch party, I was honoured to have a few fans over from the United States. An amazing thing that they would travel so far to attend the event. One of those American fans was a lady called Diane who was kind enough to bring some special gifts to me backstage, one of which was a vintage copy of the American jazz magazine 'Downbeat,' dated January 14th 1965. It contained a previously unpublished interview with Jean Cocteau, speaking about his enthusiasm for jazz music. 'Downbeat' magazine also marked a certain time in my own life. I may have mentioned this before, in an old diary entry, but I'll relate the tale again here as it illustrated how jazz was already an intrinsic part of my musical life at a relatively young age. When I was a teenager, my parents owned a cedar wood chalet on the East Coast of Yorkshire. It was located at 'Golden Sands Chalet Park' on the edge of the small seaside town of Withernsea. It stood a few yards from the cliff's edge with beautiful views of the sea. At night I would fall asleep to the gentle sound of waves breaking on the beach, with Withernsea's lighthouse illuminating my bedroom every few seconds as it's beam swung in the direction of the Chalet Park. During the summer season, we would go there every weekend, and spend our annual two-week holiday there too. I was very fond of the place. Walking back from the town to the Chalet Park I would pass a small newsagent's shop which sold the usual newspapers, cigarettes and sweets, plus brightly coloured tin toy buckets and spades and little flags and windmills for children to play with on the beach. Such simple pleasures... But this newsagent also stocked a number of American superhero comics and, amazingly for such an out of the way, not very cosmopolitan resort, they displayed copies of the imported 'Downbeat' magazine in their racks too. I vividly remember buying a particular copy of 'Downbeat' on one of those family holidays in Withernsea. It was in the summer of 1964 and I was 15 years old. I'd stopped at the shop to buy a couple of superhero comics and saw that they had the special 'Guitar Issue' of 'Downbeat' in their magazine racks. The front cover featured Wes Montgomery whose playing I loved and whose records I owned. I bought the magazine and avidly read it, cover-to-cover, when I arrived back at the chalet. It contained interviews with Wes and other great jazz guitarists including Herb Ellis and George Van Eps. It also had a feature on bluesman Mississippi John Hurt. One of the things about 'Downbeat' was that it featured adverts by American guitar companies. These ads hadn't appeared in British magazines so they were of special interest to me. Gibson, Gretsch and Guild, (the three big 'G's) all carried ads in the magazine. Amazingly, I still have that copy of 'Downbeat' in my possession. It's a bit worn but intact. It's dated July 16 1964 and serves as a fond reminder of my 15 year old self and my love of jazz. So, here's a scan of that very magazine with scans of the Gibson, Gretsch and Guild ads that were in it. Oh, and a scan of a Fender ad from the 1965 'Downbeat' that Diane brought me as a gift from America at the launch party the other week. Here's the first one for Gibson guitars... Here's the Gretsch Advert... One for Guild guitars... Here's the last one, a Fender ad...

Tried to post a more detailed and rambling journal entry earlier this evening but for some strange reason it didn't upload. Trying again now, in much briefer form as it's time for bed and this is a last minute, late night entry. Have today been attempting to isolate the unreleased instrumental tracks I've recorded over the last few months so that I can choose a running order for a possible new album. Here's the list of potential tracks, though I haven't yet chosen their correct order of appearance or, indeed, if they will all end up on the actual album. Nevertheless, I hope you'll find their titles intriguing... ‘POWERGLIDE.’ ‘COLOUR FLOODS THE BAY WITH BLUE.’ ‘ELLIPTIC WATERFALL.’ ‘FRACTIOUS ELECTRONS.’ ‘A CIRCUS TO REMEMBER.’ ‘BLUE EROS.’ ‘DEEP BLUE.’ ‘THE SEVENTH SON OF MARS.’ ‘YOUR HAND TODAY HOLDS THE FUTURE OF TOMORROW.’ ‘WONDER AND EXCITEMENT.’ ‘LOOSE BOX.’ ‘THE IMPATIENT HOUR.’ ‘FALLING WATER.’ 'THROUGH DRIFTING CLOUDS.' 'WONDER STREET.' 'GLASS SHADOWS.' 'LITTLE MOTORS MOVE THE MOON.'

Playing around with flyer images for the possible 'Wonder Street' album. Here's one variation of several I've made today.. But, enough visual noodling for tonight, time to turn on the multi-track recorder and get down to some more music!

First stage of my annual medical assessment completed this morning. A fairly quick appointment to have a sample of my blood taken along with a urine sample. These will go off to the lab for testing, then stage two on Friday morning when I have to return to get the results and have an examination with the diabetes nurse. Now, back at home and already working in my studio. Have completed the track I was attempting to mix last night but didn't get around to finishing. The mix is now finalised and the track has the title 'Glass Shadows.' I also have another finished new track titled 'Wonder Street.' At some point, I should listen back to all this new material and try to assemble a running order for an album. I already have enough material to make another double album but I think I'll split it into two separate albums and keep one focussed on the instrumental side of things. I might even use 'Wonder Street' as the album's title.

Very cold, -1 degree Centigrade this morning, but lower during last night. Was woken up at 5:30 am, (as is usual these days,) by Django the cat wanting feeding and letting out. Opened the door for him only to see the garden white with frost. He sniffed the air for a few seconds then turned around and went back into the kitchen, deciding it was too cold to venture out. I went back to bed but couldn't sleep so put on the night light and picked up one of the many books that are piled up beside the bed. I'm currently reading 'Small Town Talk' by Barney Hoskins, a compulsive read, documenting the story of Woodstock in America, (not the festival but the actual village, which is some 65 miles away from where the festival was held.) The book tells how Woodstock fostered an artistic community long before the famous festival came into being. It had a quite bohemian atmosphere back in the 1920s and '30s. The book also documents Dylan and The Band moving there to live and the scene that developed around them. It's an interesting story. I'm continuing to work on a couple of new tracks which are to go towards a new album which utilises some left over pieces from the 'Songs For Ghosts' sessions. Latest track is almost ready to mix. I'll finish it this evening, all being well. An early call for me tomorrow morning. I have an appointment for an annual medical examination. The one tomorrow is for a blood and urine test, but then back again on Friday for the results and other checks. I'm not a fan of this sort of stuff and somehow managed to stay clear of doctors and hospitals for several years until various issues kicked in around three years ago. Losing my hearing in one ear was the first problem, then getting diagnosed with diabetes, prostate problems and diabetes-related macular degeneration. Suddenly, I was seeing far more of hospitals and doctors than I wanted. But, that's the way it goes. I'm 70 next year and I guess that I have to expect, (and accept,) that some things change with age and wear and tear. A letter arrived in the post today, from Leeds University. They've issued a parking fine for our car from the 'Songs For Ghosts' launch party on the 28th of October. The fine is £80! But, we had special permission to park for free and sometime before the event had given the car's registration number to the University so that it could be identified. As the artist appearing in concert at the event, I was supposed to be able to park without charge. They've obviously made a mistake, so Ian Haydock, who organised the event, is going to contact them to hopefully get the fine cancelled. I paid a different parking fine today, one from York Council. It came from the evening I'd taken Emi out on her birthday for a meal. We'd parked on a street near the restaurant, on what was a single yellow line, (not a double.) A single is ok to park on at that time. It was raining heavily and we made a dash for the restaurant, believing we were ok leaving the car where it was. When we came back we found a parking ticket stuck to the windscreen. The ticket said that we were parked next to a 'dropped curb.' I'd not heard of that one before...Anyway, the fine was for £70 but £35 if paid before 14 days were up. Before that time elapsed I went onto the York parking website to try and pay the £35. I kept getting the message 'the server is not responding,' so tried again the next day...same problem. I then put in a search for the site and clicked on what it found...this time the parking website came up. I was then asked to enter the car registration and the parking ticket number, which I did. The on-screen message then said: 'ticket not found, re-enter your details.' So, I put them in again with the same result. This happened several times, so I thought I'd try again the next day, which was the last day to do so before the fine went to its full price of £70. Once again, I got the message that the ticket couldn't be found. Then I thought I'd try entering a 'Zero' instead of an 'O' in the number plate registration and, bingo, the fine appeared. But it had gone from £35 to £70! Being somewhat annoyed by this I decided to object and had to email my objections to the parking authorities. I explained the whole story but didn't hear anything back for several days. I noted that their site said that if an appeal was unsuccessful, the £35 fine would usually be re-instated. Eventually I got a reply saying that I would still have to pay the £70 fine as the problem had been down to 'human error' on my part. Surely an error is an error and not deliberate? There was an option to object again but I'd wasted enough time doing so previously so decided just to pay and be done with it. But damn well extortion! And why the actual parking ticket number I'd entered didn't automatically locate the document is stupid. That was the correct number, it was only the car registration that had an error in it. Surely their own ticket numbering system would produce a result? On a happier note, 'Songs For Ghosts' is set to go on general sale very soon. Attendees of the launch party were given advance copies but other fans have had to wait a little longer. All I can say is...stay tuned! ;-)

Spent much of the last couple of days preparing various images for my next album 'That Old Mysterioso', which I'm planning to make the next release after 'Songs For Ghosts.' I've sent several photographs to Martin Bostock who will be dealing with the general layout and typography of the album. The photo's I've taken of myself are heavily treated and have an intensely graphic effect. I'm wearing various masks for the pictures, most of them strange or weirdly disturbing. Here's one, (which I may not use for the album package,) which shows me wearing a Devil mask. I've treated it in such a way as to give it a rough painterly look. If this was blown up bigger and printed on canvas I think it would make a nice art piece. Even better, printed on steel or aluminium. Digital technology brings so many possibilities to the table but the trick is to sift through all those possibilities to arrive at something which speaks with strength and meaning. Or, maybe, no meaning at all... In the 21st Century it's no longer 'technique' that counts, but CHOICES. Technique is easy come by for anyone with a computer and appropriate software, but individual vision still wins the day with decision making forming the new artistic sensibility. \What you choose to put out there is what you will be judged on, rightly or wrongly. And your choices can make statements or no statements at all. I like to leave the statements to others, their personal interpretation of what appears before them. I rarely have an interpretation, just a viceral reaction to an image's visual impact. It's often many months after, that the penny finally drops and I get an inkling about what I was trying to say. But, in the end, it doesn't matter. The image is everything.

Gathering images together for 'That Old Mysterioso' which will probably be the next album release after 'Songs For Ghosts.' (Which, by the way, is due for general release next week.) The visual theme for 'That Old Mysterioso' will be a series of mysterious photographs of myself wearing different face masks. The front cover will be a Martin Bostock photograph which I'm not going to reveal yet, but the other photographs in the package will be a number of photographic self-portraits, manipulated by myself. 'That Old Mysterioso' was recorded quite a while ago now and is just one of many albums awaiting release. I'm hoping to get the artwork finished and the album mastered in time for an early 2018 release. Here's a flyer for it...

My first direct journal entry to the new Dreamsville website. Still getting to grips with understanding how it all works but will, no doubt, get used to it in time. Lots of possibilities, including sharing the journal with social media sites such as my Facebook page, (and vice-versa.) It's nice to be able to put images, (and even video, I think,) direct to the journal. On the old site we used to title these things 'diary entries' but have now given them the title of 'journals;' which covers the same sort of thing and, perhaps, a bit more besides. I'm now able to post these entries quickly and directly myself without having to wait for them to be uploaded to the old SOS server. Anyway, latest news: I've finally managed to get all my equipment unpacked and stored away in various nooks and crannies in the house. Took me three days, carrying a bit upstairs at a time. I had 15 different guitars at the launch party concert...perhaps a bit excessive but lots of fun and visually entertaining for the audience. The event seemed to be enthusiastically received by fans, despite me having misgivings about elements of the performance. Minor issues, I suppose, (which I've detailed on the Dreamsville forum,) but I'm always terribly nervous about performing live and it only takes a small 'hiccup' to throw me off my balance. You'd think that, after all these years performing I'd be super-confident and relaxed but, truth is, the older I get, the more paranoid about performing I become. Maybe it's because the more you know the more you realise you don't know. Youth has a blindness to failings and that adds a certain ability to just bash on through regardless. These days I'm hyper conscious of every possible mistake or equipment malfunction. It sometimes makes playing live a bumpy ride for me...but, what the hell, it's what it is, one way or another. Now I'm in the position to consider my next album release. A dozen or so albums lined up awaiting a decision. Which should come next? They all require mastering at Fairview Studio with engineer John Spence, and all require the creation of packaging artwork. But they're all mixed and finished apart from the previously mentioned requirements. I'm thinking of choosing 'That Old Mysterioso' for the next release, only because we have a super cover photo' of myself taken by Martin Bostock who will also be dealing with the layout and typography for me. But I also have around 18 tracks left over from the 'Songs For Ghosts' project, which I'm thinking of using for a future album titled 'Lovely Apparitions.' I may select the best tracks for this project, or decide to add a few more and make it a double album, (or make it into two separate albums.) Truth is, I'm itching to crank up the studio again after the last few weeks of devoting myself to preparations for the 'Songs For Ghosts'; launch party. Anyway, we'll see. (But I may just start pushing the old record button for an hour or two tonight, just to see what might happen.) Well, that's about all I need to say for today. I'm going to try adding an image to this journal entry to see if everything works ok. If it does, you will be not only hearing more from me here in future, but seeing more too. Sometimes, technology aides creativity. Let's hope it does in my case! ;-)

Now things are becoming seriously hot. Less than a week away, the 'Songs For Ghosts' launch party looms large. Spent much of today hauling more heavy flight cases and bits n' pieces downstairs ready to transport to guitar tech Andy's studio on Wednesday. Unbelievable that a one-man performance like this needs so much equipment! Thursday will involve a gear check and a run through of a couple of tracks at Andy's place to make sure I know what foot switches do what on my pedal boards. Then Friday is a 'choosing stage clothes' day. Always a nightmare. Still have to pack the 15 guitars though, and drag them all downstairs too, but tomorrow Steve Cook, my personal hairdresser and sometime keyboardist, is coming over to cut my hair prior to the gig. (Which means not much preparation work will get done, I'm afraid.) Gave a portable hard drive to Paul yesterday which contains the brand new videos I've created for the event. I've previously posted that I'd finally settled on the 'guitar parade' set list...but I fear it may change slightly yet. Finished more art for the merchandise stall, including a one-off porcelain plate that I've decorated to commemorate the event. Also completed the decoration of my Danelectro guitar that I played on the 'Be Bop Deluxe And Beyond' tour of 2004. (This is the guitar I played on the song 'Panic In The World.') It looks rather nice, even if I do say so myself! This guitar is up for sale at the event but, not inexpensive, (though very reasonable for something with this kind of provenance.) Whoever gets it will own a piece of personal history which may become more valuable over time. So, onward and, hopefully, upward. The final preparations coming up now and then the big day itself. See you then!

Hard to believe that it's a year ago I held the launch party for the 'New Northern Dream' album and live performance at The Clothworker's Hall in Leeds. This year it's the 'Songs For Ghosts' album launch, exactly one week away tomorrow. How time flies...

This afternoon I picked up the two guitars that Gordon White of 'Single Coil' guitar repairs had fixed for me. Both are now in first class condition...the J.Joye 'Bel Air' has had a new jack socket and pickup selector switch fitted, and the Musicvox Mi-6 has had a Duesenberg Tremolo arm fitted and its neck trussed to lower the action. Feels so much better now, and the Duesenberg trem works a treat. The difference that Gordon can make is quite something. No wonder his skills are valued by so many guitarists. I'm looking forward to featuring these two guitars in my live set at the upcoming performance and launch party on the 28th, along with the other 13 guitars I'm scheduled to play. By the way, the latest news is that there are less than ten tickets left for the event, so, if you'd like to come, but haven't got a ticket yet, you'll need to act fast. No tickets will be available on the door. Here's a snap taken a couple of minutes ago of the two guitars that Gordon has fixed and set up. The gold one is the Musicvox, the baby blue one the 'Bel Air.'

Today I had the usual excruciating experience of receiving an injection of a drug directly into my eyeball, (done at my local hospital.) This is necessary because of the deteriorisation of my eyesight due to diabetes complications which I've had for a couple of years now. The injections are to try and slow the loss of my eyesight, though they won't cure the problem. Needless to say, it's not a pleasant proceedure and I was at the hospital from 2:30 pm to 5:30pm. The number of patients having to endure this treatment is astonishing. Not all diabetes related, some of them experiencing age-related macular degeneration, but I seem to have got both conditions.These regular injections never become a commonplace thing. They are always dreaded and stressful. And right now, my eye is very sore, bloodshot and painful as a result of the injection. Nevertheless, I have no choice other than to risk losing my vision completely. And so it goes... Meanwhile, a ray of sunshine on the horizon is that Gordon White, my guitar fettler of choice, has managed to prepare two guitars for me, which I'm planning to use at the upcoming launch party on the 28th of this month. One is my baby-blue J.Joye 'Bel Air' guitar which has been troubled by faulty switching and an ever looser jack socket. The other guitar is my Musicvox Mi-6 gold sparkle model which Gordon has refined the action for me and added a Duesenberg tremolo arm to it. (See attached photo' from Gordon with the guitar on his workbench.) I'm looking forward to collecting these two guitars from Gordon in Leeds tomorrow at his 'Single Coil' guitar repair workshop off the Kirkstall Road. I highly recommend him for his expertise in adjusting guitars...he works with people of the calibre of Richard Hawley, Lambchop and Duane Eddy, amongst many others. When you place a guitar with him, it's in very safe hands.

Still one of my favourite albums...and available from Bandcamp.